Incoming exchange students

Click here to find out the 7 reasons that lead students from our partner universities to choose USI as their exchange destination.

The end-of-exchange reports written by students who spent an exchange period at USI can provide useful insight into the mobility experience. The reports are available on the Partner Universities Responsive Portal (selecting "Exchange experience reports" and "Incoming"):

Partner Universities Reponsive Portal

The Fact sheet contains the essential information for incomign exchange students. It is available at the links below or among the attachments. 

Lugano Campus:

• Fact Sheet Lugano Campus

Mendrisio Campus:

• Fact Sheet Mendrisio Campus

The International Relations and Study Abroad Service offers the possibility to book a personal meeting to discuss the details of your exchange at USI. We will be happy to assist you in organising your stay and answer any question you may have.

• Lugano Campus: select "LAURA GUERRA: incoming students CAMPUS LUGANO"
• Mendrisio Campus: select "STEFANO BASTIANELLI: Academy of Architecture (Mendrisio)"

​BOOK YOUR MEETING

SEMP, Swiss Mobility, and international exchange students are nominated by their home university. Nomination details are sent by the USI International Relations and Study Abroad Service to the contact person at the partner university.

Nominated students will be informed via email of the necessary steps to complete their application. Candidates are required to complete their registration on Mobility Online, the official tool in place at USI to manage exchanges.

The documents to be uploaded are the following:

• Copy of most recent Transcript of Records (exam certificate);
• Photocopy of relevant pages of passport or ID card;
• Copy of health insurance card or insurance certificates;
• Language certificate equivalent to at least B2 level in the language of teaching of the courses to be attended (English and/or Italian). Both official certificates (IELTS, TOEFL, etc.) and internal certificates issued by the home university are acceptable.
• Only for students requiring a visa: Short CV (resumé) and Motivational Letter (templates available for download int he Mobility Online workflow);
• Passport-size picture (full-face view, facing the camera). The photo will be printed on your student card.

Successful applicants will receive a confirmation email with an attached letter of acceptance, as soon as the application is approved.

Freemover students are invited to contact the International Relations Service to request access to the application form. In addition to the documents listed above, freemover students must submit a written confirmation from their home university, stating their approval of the freemover exchange.

SEMP, Swiss Mobility and International Mobility: 

Nomination deadlines for partner universities:

• Autumn Semester: 1 May
• Spring Semester: 31 October

All types of mobility:

Application deadline for students:

• Autumn Semester: 15 May
• Spring Semester: 15 November

All incoming exchange procedures are managed through the Mobility Online platform. Once students are nominated for an exchange, they will receive the necessary information to access the platform and their workflow which will guide them step-by-step from their application until the end of their exchange.

EU/EFTA nationals do not need a visa to enter Switzerland.

Non-EU/EFTA nationals bound by a visa requirement* must request a student visa at the Swiss embassy or consulate in their home country before entering Switzerland.

To begin the procedure, candidates must contact the relevant embassy or consulate and provide the required documentation. Further details on the procedure will be provided by the International Relations Service.

Students are expected to pay any visa fees charged by the consulate or embassy. The visa process can take up to 3-4 months, we therefor encourage students requiring a visa to apply for it as soon as possible. Entry into Switzerland is only possible after the application is approved. A tourist visa for Switzerland cannot be converted into a student permit after entering Switzerland. Regardless of the visa, international students must apply for a residence permit upon arrival. For additional information on the visa requirements and procedure, please refer to the State Secretariat for Migration, the representatives of Switzerland abroad or the cantonal authorities.

*Students from non-EU/EFTA countries who have a valid residence permit issued by a Schengen member state or a valid type D visa from a Schengen member state are exempt from visa requirements.

All foreign students wishing to stay in Switzerland during their study period must apply for a residence permit “L” for educational purposes, regardless of Visa requirements. The application must be submitted within 14 days of their arrival in Switzerland. After submitting the application, the candidate is free to live in Switzerland while awaiting the immigration authority's decision. All the necessary information and documents will be provided by the International Relations and Study Abroad Service duting the information sessions held at the beginning of the semester.

Foreign students residing in Italy in the border area who return home daily do not need to apply for the permit of stay.

SEMP students are exempted from paying any residence permit fee. International mobility and freemover students are subject to the payment of a fee.

All students must register at the residents' office of the municipality in which they will reside during their exchange within 8 days of arrival in Switzerland.

• Lugano: Puntocittà, Via della Posta, 6900 Lugano +41 58 866 60 00, [email protected], www.lugano.ch/la-mia-citta/sportelli-in-citta/puntocitta/
• Mendrisio: Ufficio controllo abitanti della città di Mendrisio, Via Municipio 13, 6850 Mendrisio, +41 91 640 3120, [email protected]; mendrisio.ch/home/vivere-e-visitare/abitare-a-mendrisio/arrivare-e-partire/arrivare.html

Every person residing in Switzerland is required to have a health and accident insurance or to obtain the relevant exemption (see below).

The International Relations Service will assist exchange students with the procedures upon arrival

Exemptions

Under certain conditions, students may be exempted from contracting compulsory health insurance in Switzerland. This applies in particular to:

• Students coming from EU/EFTA countries, with EU/EFTA citizenship, holding a European Health Insurance Card;
• Students with private insurance in EU/EFTA countries who can prove that such insurance complies with Swiss standards, i.e. that it is unlimited
• Students with private insurance from Non-EU/EFTA countries who can prove that such insurance complies with Swiss standards, i.e. that it is unlimited.

www.desk.usi.ch/en/health-insurance-students

Swiss health insurance

If the student does not qualify for an exemption, they must purchase a private insurance policy. All companies offer the same basic cover, but at different premiums. The premium will be based on the place of residence, the age and the level of deductible originally opted for. By paying supplementary premiums, extra benefits may be obtained (for example, private rooms in hospitals, special therapies, and indemnities). The amount of premium payable can be reduced as the insured party accepts a higher compulsory annual excess (It., franchigia) or other limitations imposed by some companies.

Swisscare

To offer students who are non-EU/EFTA nationals more affordable compulsory insurance coverage, USI has agreed an extremely convenient collective insurance policy - Swisscare- with Europäische Reiseversicherungs AG (ERV) and Swisscare Switzerland AG. Swisscare provides basic coverage in the event of illness, accident and maternity equivalent to the mandatory insurance under the Swiss Federal Law on Compulsory Health Care (KVG/LAMal), but at a much lower cost.

https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/swisscare

Lugano Campus

Bachelor courses at the Faculty of Communication, culture and society are mainly taught in Italian. The first three semesters of the Bachelor in Economics are taught in both English and Italian.

Master courses at the Faculty of Communication, culture and society and the Faculty of Economics are mainly taught in English, with few courses offered in Italian. Bachelor and Master courses at the Faculty of Informatics are entirely taught in English.

Non-native speakers are required to have a good knowledge of the teaching language of the courses to be attended (at least a B2 of the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages). For the purposes of the mobility application, both official certificates (IELTS, TOEFL etc.), and internal certificates issued by the student’s home university are accepted.

Mendrisio Campus

Italian is the predominant language of instruction at the Academy of Architecture. Some courses, workshops and related examinations may be conducted in English, especially in the Master's programme. No language certificate is required.

Exchange students are free to attend a variety of classes, both at Bachelor and Master levels, with very few restrictions. Although they are enrolled in a faculty, they are allowed to attend classes and sit examinations in the other faculties as well. However, choosing courses from different programmes, levels and/or faculties may increase the risk of overlap among classes and final exams. Exams must be taken at the set date and time and in the prescribed modality. It is not possible to ask for rescheduling or extra-muros exams. Therefore, we advise against combining courses offered by different programmes, faculties and/or at different levels.

For exchange students a credit load of 20 ECTS per semester is recommended. However, there is no mandatory minimum or maximum number of credits to be obtained during the exchange.

Course list and descriptions

Credits are awarded only for passed exams. The study plan (Learning Agreement) must be approved by the relevant Faculty or Department of the home institution. All students must ensure that any course/examination taken during the exchange fulfils the requirements of their home university.

Incoming students will be asked to provide a Learning Agreement before the beginning of the exchange semester. The Learning Agreement must be uploaded to the Mobility Online workflow, using either the official template provided by the student’s home university or the USI template (downloadable from Mobility Online).

The Learning Agreement must be approved by the relevant faculty or department of the home institution. All students must ensure sure that any courses taken during the exchange will be accepted as fulfilling the requirements of the original degree programme at their home university. Credits are awarded only for passed exams.

Any changes to the Learning Agreement must be approved by the home university and submitted via Mobility Online to USI’s International Relations Service for new approval.

Class schedules or timetables are available few weeks prior to the beginning of classes.

The timetables separated by study programme can be found at the following links:

• Bachelor: www.desk.usi.ch/en/orario-dei-corsi-bachelor
• Master: www.desk.usi.ch/en/course-schedules-master

The schedule for individual courses is listed on the description page of each course: www.desk.usi.ch/en/courses-description-and-references

Regular exam sessions take place in January (autumn semester) and June (spring semester). An additional retake session takes place in September.

Exam schedules are published halfway through the semester in question and are available on the dedicated page for each faculty:

• Faculty of Economics: www.desk.usi.ch/en/examinations-eco-calendar-and-schedule
• Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society: www.desk.usi.ch/en/examinations-com-calendar-schedule-and-exam-lists
• Faculty of Informatics: www.desk.usi.ch/en/examinations-inf-calendar-schedule-and-exam-lists
• Faculty of Theology: https://www.ftl.usi.ch/it/didattica/informazioni-direttive-didattica
• Academy of Architecture: www.arc.usi.ch/en/practical-information/exams

Unless otherwise specified, exchange students are subject to the same regulations applied to regular students.

Regulations:

• Academy of Architecture: www.arc.usi.ch/en/practical-information/regulations-and-forms
• Faculty of Communication, Culture and Society: www.com.usi.ch/en/practical-information/regulations-and-forms
• Faculty of Economics: www.eco.usi.ch/en/practical-information/regulations-and-forms
• Faculty of Informatics: www.inf.usi.ch/en/practical-information/regulations-and-forms
• Guidelines for the organisation and conducting of inter-Faculty examinations or examinations within the framework of inter-Faculty programmes: content.usi.chhttps://content.usi.ch/sites/default/files/storage/attachments/press/press-direttive-organizzazione-esami-interfacolta-en.pdf

At the end of the exchange, students will receive an official Transcript of Records (exam certificate) indicating the exams taken at USI, the corresponding ECTS credits and the respective grade/evaluation. ECTS credits are awarded only for passed exams. The credit transfer is under the responsibility of the home institution.

Grading is either binary (passed/failed) or scaled. In the scaled assessment, the grade is defined according to a scale from 1 to 10, in 0.5 increments; the passing grade is 6.

SEMP, Swiss Mobility, and International Exchange students are entitled to receive 3 ECTS points for language courses, after having passed the final test and attended at least 75% of the course. The evaluation is expressed by a binary system (Pass or Fail). www.desk.usi.ch/en/language-courses-and-certificates

Incoming students (including joint and double degree students) may request support measures for teaching or exams equivalent to those already approved by their home university.

Any measures to support teaching or exams already approved by the home university must be communicated by the university’s relevant offices to the Secretariat of the USI Special Educational Needs Examination Board at [email protected].

The Examination Board will evaluate the application of the requested measures based on the Directive and the regulations in force at USI.

In particular, the following deadlines should be observed:

• Submission of the request within two months of the start of the semester for measures to support teaching;

• Submit the request within two months of the start of the exam session for measures to be applied during exams.

The Examination Board for Special Educational Needs will define the measures and establish their effective date. The outcome of the assessment will be communicated to the student by the Studies Administration.

For more information, please visit the following web page.

USI has two student residences, reserved primarily for exchange students. However, places are extremely limited and there is no guarantee of receiving a room. More information is available on the web pages of the residences:

• USI Home (Lugano Campus)
• Casa dell'Accademia (Mendrisio Campus)

For other types of accommodation, USI's Housing Service offers numerous useful resources: www.usi.ch/en/university/info/housing

The information below is published in alphabetical order.

Accessibility

The Lugano Campuses, the Palazzo Canavée and the Mendrisio Library have been adapted for mobility-impaired individuals, with appropriate access ramps and facilities (WC, etc.).

https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/accessibility-and-support-people-disabilities-lugano-campus

Career

The University’s Career Service aims at fostering exchange and contact with the business world, and to acquaint students with the working environment, thus ensuring a smoother and more successful transition from the academic world to the workplace.

www.usi.ch/en/career

Copy Center

The Copy Center is located on the Lugano West Campus (Level 1, office 121) and manages the printers on the Lugano Campus. It is the focal point for the production, distribution and sale of course materials on the Lugano Campus and provides a thesis printing and binding service (subject to a fee).

https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/copy-center-campus-di-lugano

Equal Opportunities Service

The Equal Opportunities Service undertakes activities aimed at ensuring and promoting an inclusive, transparent and non-discriminatory environment for studying and working at USI. www.usi.ch/en/equal-opportunities-usi

Food

Lugano Campus

The Lugano Campus cafeterias (commonly called “mensa” in Italian) are located in the main building of the West Campus and in sector C of the East Campus. They offer a choice of three daily menus.

The menu prices are subject to change. To benefit from reduced prices, when asked you must show your student ID card.

www.desk.usi.ch/en/menu-mensa-cafeteria-lugano-campus

Mendrisio Campus

Students can benefit from reduced prices at the Osteria Vignetta (Via Turconi, next to Villa Argentina – www.vignetta.ch) and at the Obivella Restaurant of the “Beata Vergine” the Regional Hospital of Mendrisio (next to the Library). For the special rates, the student needs to show, upon request, the USI student card. 

www.arc.usi.ch/en/practical-information 

IT services

Information on essential IT services, including printing, Wi-fi and IT support can be found on this page: www.desk.usi.ch/en/essential-guides-about-it-services

Libraries

University Library Lugano: https://en.bul.sbu.usi.ch

Academy of Architecture Library: http://biblio.arc.usi.ch/en

Lost and Found

Lugano Campus

For all lost items, contact the reception of the main building (ground floor at the entrance) according to the opening hours.

Mendrisio Campus

For all lost items, contact the reception of Villa Argentina according to the opening hours.

Psychological Counselling Service

USI in ascolto (USI listening) is a space devoted to listening and providing free of charge individual support to all members of USI community (students, academic and administrative staff), promoted by USI through the Equal Opportunities Service. 

https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/usi-in-ascolto

Sports

The USI Sports Service organises a wide range of sports, consisting of more than 70 activities including group training, sports disciplines, outdoor activities, camps and much more: www.sport.usi.ch/en

Student associations

Several student associations are active within the university: https://www.desk.usi.ch/en/list-acknowledged-student-associations

Student Card

The student card provides proof of enrollment at USI, it is delivered by the International Relations Service upon student’s arrival. www.desk.usi.ch/en/student-card

Special educational needs

Incoming students may request support measures for teaching or exams equivalent to those already approved by their home university.

Any measures to support teaching or exams already approved by the home university must be communicated by the university’s relevant offices to the Secretariat of the USI Special Educational Needs Examination Board at [email protected] .  

The Examination Board will evaluate the application of the requested measures based on the Directive and the regulations in force at USI.

In particular, the following deadlines should be observed:

• Submission of the request within two months of the start of the semester for measures to support teaching;

• Submit the request within two months of the start of the exam session for measures to be applied during exams.

The Examination Board for Special Educational Needs will define the measures and establish their effective date. The outcome of the assessment will be communicated to the student by the Studies Administration.

For more information, please visit the following web page.

Sustainability - Sosta Project

The general objective of the “SostA... towards a sustainable university” project is to achieve environmental, economic and social responsibility at USI.

As part of the project, useful information concerning sustainability (waste management, water and energy consumption), mobility arrangements (bike sharing in Lugano and Mendrisio) and other aspects is available: www.usi.ch/sosta

The International Relations and Study Abroad Service, together with ESN Lugano, organize a buddy programme for incoming exchange students, pairing incoming students with a local buddy who will support them during their exchange.

Incoming students will receive all the necessary information to request a buddy shortly before their arrival.

The International Relations Service collaborates with the ESN (Erasmus Student Network) local section, following the motto "students helping students", ESN works to develop the conditions for present and future exchange students and to promote the exchange experience. Among their great variety of activities, the association helps new students from different countries settle in, by showing the region and organizing events. For more information and the events calendar, please see the ESN Lugano Instagram page: www.instagram.com/esn_lugano/

Several student associations have been created within the University. The main objectives are to improve relations between students and the institution and to enrich the range of educational and recreational offer during school. The associations are concerned mainly with the collection of didactic material, organisation of parties and meetings, cultural and sporting events, and networking among University students and the business world.

The acknowledged student associations active at USI are listed on the follwoing page: www.desk.usi.ch/en/list-acknowledged-student-associations

The USI Sport Service organises a wide range of sporting activities, consisting of over 70 activities including group training, sports disciplines, outdoor activities, camps and much more. Mobility students can benefit from a discounted rate for subscriptions offered by the Sport service. sport.usi.ch/en

SEMP/International/Swiss mobility:

Tuition fees are waived at USI where a reciprocal exchange agreement has been signed, and students are formally nominated by their home university.

Freemover students:

Freemover students are subject to the regular USI tuition fee.

Exchange students from partner universities are eligible for a SEMP grant if the following requirements are met:

• A partner university of USI officially nominates the student for a mobility;
• The total SEMP funding does not exceed 12 months for each degree course (including any previous SEMP study/internship mobility);
• The student does not benefit from other grants from the Swiss Confederation for the same stay;
• The student resides in Switzerland (Ticino) for the entire duration of the mobility;

The amount of the grant is calculated according to the duration of the stay (excluding introductory activities and exams) and the country of the home university. SEMP scholarships do not provide full coverage of expenses incurred during the stay abroad, but contribute to travel expenses and part of living costs.

USI does not currently offer SEMP scholarships for students from non-European partner universities.

More information is available on the website of the National Agency Movetia: www.movetia.ch/en/funding-opportunities/student-exchange

It is not necessary to apply for an SEMP grant. Eligible students will be informed directly by the International Relations and Study Abroad Service.

Grant for eco-friendly travel

An additional grant of CHF 100 is paid to those who choose to travel from their home university to USI by train, bus or car-sharing (SEMP Europe mobility only). The grant for eco-friendly travel is paid together with the SEMP scholarship, upon submission of the proof of travel (tickets/receipts).

The Heyning-Roelli Foundation provides scholarships to talented but financially underprivileged students for travel and subsistence expenses. Beneficiaries of the scholarships can be Bachelor- and Master students who wish to participate in an exchange programme for one or two semesters at a partner university. Exchange programmes include the Swiss-European Mobility Programme (SEMP, formerly Erasmus) as well as other programmes according to bilateral agreements between Swiss universities and foreign universities. In these programmes students stay enrolled at their home university and continue their studies there after the end of their stay abroad.

Applications are managed directly ba the Foundation and do not take place through USI. 

• Applications for Fall Semester must be submitted by 20th April 24.00h CET of each year.
• Applications for Spring Semester must be submitted by 20th October 24.00h CET of each year

Students should take into account a monthly Budget of around CHF 1’400 – 2'000

• Accommodation (room in shared housing): CHF 600-900
• Food and other household expenses: CHF 500
• Health Insurance (if required): CHF 100-300
• Public Transportation: CHF 50-100
• Books and study materials: CHF 50
• Free time expenses: CHF 200

This budget is an average of the monthly expenses for a USI student, excluding the one-off expenses such as residence permit fees (if applicable), security deposit, etc.

A survey conducted by Eurail among Erasmus Student Network members in 2020 showed that 75% of students chose air travel as their means of transportation to reach their exchange destination, highlighting that factors such as low cost and reduced travel time of air transport are prioritized over environmental impact.

In 2019, 6.1 million students worldwide participated in an exchange program, almost double the number in 2007. Between 2014 and 2020, 1.5 million students completed an exchange within the Erasmus+ program (OECD statistics). The average distance traveled per student is 1,374 kilometers. The estimated impact of these mobilities is approximately 600,000 tons of CO2, and the numbers are steadily increasing.

Aviation contributes to 2.5% of CO2 emissions, but the impact increases when considering emissions not directly related to CO2, such as other gases (NO3, SO2, CO, HC). A 2020 European study determined that non-CO2 emissions contribute twice as much to global warming.

Despite these alarming figures, Europe is the second-largest passenger market (after the United States), with a 35% increase in intra-European routes, also ranking second in emissions.

Worrying, isn’t it?

The carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases generated by our daily actions. Globally, the average is currently 4 tonnes per person. To prevent the global temperature from rising by 2°C, it is essential to bring this number below 2 tonnes by 2050.

There are various calculation methodologies, but to simplify, it is a matter of adding up the emissions that our daily living generates. There are many sites that can help you calculate your carbon footprint. We recommend:

• https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
• https://co2.myclimate.org/en/calculate_emissions

This site, on the other hand, allows you to compare the impact depending on the means of transport:

• https://www.energie-environnement.ch/maison/transports-et-mobilite/mobility-impact

If you’re reading this section of the website, it’s because you want to contribute: thank you! We hope you’ll find the right proposal for you among these options!

First of all, here are some useful institutional sources:

• Erasmus Goes Green: Higher Education Students’ Handbook to Travel Green
• https://www.greenerasmus.org/
• Green Mobility: decision-making process (document from the National Agency Movetia)
• Long live the train! Arguments in favor of a train ride (document from the National Agency Movetia)
• SET Project EU the goal of this project is the improvement of students’ opportunities to engage in more environmentally sustainable habits during their mobility and the mindset change regarding the trip to the mobility destination as a transformative experience in itself.​
• Go2RAIL a website helping exchange students travel across Europe more sustainably by travelling together.

​Train ride, happy ride!

In addition to the official national railway websites, these links provide valuable ideas for organizing your trip:

• www.raileurope.com: a portal for purchasing train tickets
• https://www.thetrainline.com/: an app that allows you to buy train tickets across Europe (and beyond) at the best-guaranteed price. The company's goals include supporting more sustainable global transport.
• https://www.interrail.eu/en: a sustainable way to visit Europe and, why not, to reach your destination.
• www.omio.co.uk: train, bus, and flight tickets
• https://www.omio.com/travel: offers the possibility to compare flight, train, and bus options in terms of travel and cost.
• https://rail.cc/: an independent project that explains how to travel by train, the routes, and where to buy tickets.
• https://www.chronotrains.com/it: This map shows how far you can travel from each European station in less than 8 hours.
• https://www.seat61.com/: a valuable source of information. Most of the routes have been covered by the founder of this site. Originally a private initiative, it quickly became a reference for those who prefer slow travel.
• https://www.energie-environnement.ch/maison/transports-et-mobilite/mobility-impact
• www.sendmybag.com: you can send your luggage in advance, so you can travel light and avoid extra costs.

On the road again… with the bus!

• https://www.thetrainline.com/ also applies to buses!
• https://global.flixbus.com/

Why not a road trip by car?

Why not contact other students heading to the same destination and travel together? A road trip also allows you to make a few stops and visit new cities.

• https://www.blablacar.com/ allows you to share travel costs with other travelers.

We are aware that some destinations cannot be reached using low-impact transportation. We’re not asking you to give up your trip, but we suggest a few small steps to limit the impact:

• Opt for direct flights: takeoffs and landings have a greater impact compared to the time spent at cruising altitude.
• Travel in economy class.
• Consider taking at least part of the journey by train if the destination allows it.
• Try calculating the carbon footprint of your trip: https://co2.myclimate.org/en/calculate_emissions
• Some airlines have a lower impact than others: here is an index: https://www.atmosfair.de/en/air_travel_and_climate/atmosfair_airline_index/
• Smart travel tool: https://www.atmosfair.de/en/green_travel/smart-travel-tool/

Accommodations also have their own sustainability index, and many have already introduced useful measures to reduce their impact, such as eliminating plastic, reducing water waste, using natural cleaning products, and improving energy efficiency.

• https://www.bookdifferent.com/en/: an affiliate of booking.com that allows you to check the CO2 emissions of your stay, as well as any sustainability certifications (green label).
• www.airbnb.com
• https://hihostels.com/: promotes sustainable tourism.

Students from Swiss universities participating in mobility within the SEMP programme can now benefit from the Interrail Pass for Erasmus+ — a great opportunity to travel sustainably across Europe.

How does it work?

The Interrail Pass for Erasmus+ offers four to six travel days to be used within six months — ideal for the outbound and return journeys plus a few extra days to explore new cities. During these travel days, unlimited train journeys are possible. The travel days can be used at any time within six months from the start date. They can be spread out over time or used consecutively — it’s up to each individual.

The SEMP programme, with its CHF 100 flat-rate ("contribution for eco-friendly travel"), already covers half the cost of the 4-day second-class pass:

• Outgoing students: the flat-rate will be added to Installment II of the SEMP scholarship at the end of the exchange, once completed the end of exchange procedure and upon submission of proof of travel.
• Incoming students: the flat-rate is paid together with the SEMP scholarship in the beginning of the exchange.

This initiative reflects the growing importance of sustainability in international mobility and offers students a practical option to organise their train travel, enriching the exchange experience with greater flexibility and the joy of slow travel.

To learn more, please consult the Interrail/Eurail for Erasmus+ official website

Costs